It’s hard to glean anything from a spring game, but amidst a day filled with turmoil given the news surrounding Nico Iamaleava, Josh Heupel was willing to showcase the youth Tennessee Football has in its scrimmage in front of fans Saturday. In particular, the freshman pass-catchers were the stars.
Tight end Jack Van Dorselaer was the star for the Vols, catching multiple passes and scoring an incredible three touchdowns. At 6’5″ 236 pounds, Van Dorselaer is not somebody you want to sleep on. After all, Holden Staes entering the transfer portal and Miles Kitselman being banged up could leave an opening.
Van Dorselaer, who was a four-star, obviously comes with talent, and he hails from Texas, where recruits tend to be more ready coming directly out of high school. As a result, there is definitely something to him standing out in even a scrimmage like this.
Sticking with the theme of Heupel clearly looking for other options at tight end, another freshman, DaSaahn Braame, stood out as well. Braame didn’t score any touchdowns, but he was a solid complementary piece to Van Dorselaer. He wasn’t a standout star but still managed to have an impact.
Another four-star, Braame hails from Kansas and stands at 6’4″ 230 pounds right now. He obviously has to get a bit bigger to truly play tight end in this system, but he’s got the athleticism and could at least be another elite pass-catcher. Pay attention to him through the summer.
At wide receiver, Chris Brazzell II and Braylon Staley were both out, and they are likely to be starters in the rotation this year. Boo Carter took multiple snaps on both sides of the ball and had a few catches on offense, and Mike Matthews certainly stood out in 7 on 7s, catching at least one touchdown.
However, beyond those four, a freshman is going to have to stand out to add depth in the rotation. In the 11-on-11 scrimmage, Radarious Jackson showed he could be that guy. Jackson had a touchdown grab and an incredible one-handed 32-yard reception.
At 6’2″ 206 pounds, Jackson could be another option at wideout, where Tennessee Football is short right now. A four-star out of Memphis, he’s an elite athlete, and if he can figure out the route-running concepts in Heupel’s system, he could be an early superstar.
Obviously, there is lots of concern surrounding the Vols given what happened with Iamaleava just before the spring game, but the promise shown by freshman skill players in that outing has to count for something. UT may have more depth than initially thought, and after summer workouts, these guys could be legit options.
